A National Ocean Service station in Vaca Key recently reported sustained winds of 48 mph with a gust to 66 mph. Marathon recently reported sustained winds of 51 mph with a gust to 71 mph.

7:30 p.m. Storm heading toward Tampa, but Miami not out of danger

Hurricane Irma's leading edge whipped palm trees and kicked up the surf as it spun toward Florida with 125 mph winds Saturday on a projected new track that could subject Tampa — not Miami — to the storm's worst fury.

Tampa has not taken a direct hit from a major hurricane in nearly a century.

The westward swing away from Miami in the overnight forecast caught many people off guard along Florida's Gulf coast and triggered an abrupt shift in storm preparations. A major round of evacuations was ordered in the Tampa area, and shelters there soon began filling up.

Still, Miami was not out of danger. Because the storm is 350 to 400 miles wide, the metro area could still get life-threatening hurricane winds and dangerous storm surge of 4 to 6 feet, forecasters warned.

7:10 p.m. 76,000 people without power, Florida gov says

Florida Gov. Rick Scott says at least 76,000 people are without power as Irma unleashes winds and rain on the state.

Scott said Saturday night that the outages expected to grow as Irma moves closer to the state.

He warned people that the storm is life-threatening.

Brock Long, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, says millions of people could be without power in Florida for multiple days or even weeks.

6 p.m.

More than 75,000 flock to shelters; tropical storm conditions begin in Florida Keys

Tropical storm conditions now occurring in the Florida Keys, and more than 75,000 people have flocked to shelters in Florida to escape Hurricane Irma's potentially deadly winds and storm surge.

A National Ocean Service station in Vaca Key recently reported sustained winds of 46 mph with a gust to 59 mph, and Marathon recently reported sustained winds of 43 mph with a gust to 66 mph.

Meanwhile, the state said Saturday that more than 400 shelters are open, mostly in schools, churches and community centers.

A hectic scene happened outside a minor league hockey arena in southwest Florida, where thousands of people were stuck in line. Some waited for more than five hours to get inside because only two doors were open.

When rain began falling heavily, more doors were open and the 8,400 seat Germain Arena quickly filled.

The National Weather Service is warning of widespread flooding for parts of Florida, where storm surge — abnormal rise in seas — could be compounded by powerful battering waves. The threat could extend beyond the immediate coast.

A hurricane center forecaster warns residents throughout the southeast states should remain aware of the flood threat and stay tuned to forecasts and warnings.

Major hurricane force winds are expected over the Florida Keys at daybreak. Irma is expected to remain a very dangerous hurricane while it moves near or over the Florida Keys and near or over the Florida Peninsula, a National Hurricane Center forecaster says.

After two days, Irma will be moving farther inland and weakening, according to the hurricane center. It's still expected to be an extremely dangerous, life-threatening hurricane as it hits Florida, the National Hurricane Center says.

The storm was about 115 miles southeast of Key West, the hurricane center reported at 5 p.m. Saturday. It's beginning to turn away from Cuba's coast up toward Florida.

Forecasters say it should regain some of its lost strength and eventually hit Florida probably as a Category 4 hurricane.

4:15 p.m. Open roads

Florida officials have started allowing people to drive on the shoulders of Interstate 4, the main highway that links Tampa to Orlando.

The Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Highway Patrol announced the move on Saturday. It came in the aftermath of updated forecasts that show Hurricane Irma taking aim at Tampa, which hasn't been directly hit by a hurricane in nearly a century.

State officials have been permitting motorists to use shoulders instead of allowing one-way flow on the state’s highways. Florida has told more than 6 million to evacuate ahead of the killer storm and the mass exodus has jammed the roads.

After lingering off the north coast of Cuba, Irma is beginning to move toward Florida. The National Hurricane Center says the storm is moving west-northwest at 9 mph following a long track west. The turn may seem small, but it's a crucial moment as Irma begins its stretch run to Florida.

3 p.m. Finding shelter

More than 50,000 people in Florida are seeking shelter in schools, community centers and churches as Hurricane Irma nears the state.

The government-sponsored shelters were open Saturday as officials warned 6.3 million Floridians to evacuate. The storm was expected to make landfall in Florida on Sunday. Those with nowhere to turn headed to the shelters while others sought lodging at hotels or with friends and family.

Red Cross shelter coordinator Steve Bayer said most people at shelters are grateful and happy.

2 p.m. Irma's major impact coming at daybreak

Irma will bring major hurricane-force winds over the Florida Keys by daybreak Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Currently, the storm is lingering over Cuba with winds at 125 mph. It is expected to strengthen significantly as it crosses the warmer water on the way to Florida.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the storm's center, and tropical storm force winds can go out up to 195 miles.

1:30 p.m. Surprising shift west

The swing west in the hurricane’s projected path overnight caught many on Florida’s Gulf coast off guard. By late morning, few businesses in St. Petersburg had even put plywood or hurricane shutters on their windows, and some locals groused about the change in the forecast.

“For five days, we were told it was going to be on the east coast, and then 24 hours before it hits, we’re now told it’s coming up the west coast,” said Jeff Beerbohm, a 52-year-old entrepreneur in St. Petersburg told the AP.

Tampa has not been struck by a major hurricane since 1921, when its population was about 10,000, National Hurricane Center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said. Now the area has around 3 million people.

The new course threatened everything from Tampa Bay’s bustling twin cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg to Naples’ mansion- and yacht-lined canals, Sun City Center’s sprawling compound of modest retirement homes, and Sanibel Island’s shell-filled beaches.

With the new forecast, Pinellas County, home to St. Petersburg, ordered 260,000 people to leave.

12:45 p.m. Forget the tide

Over its Twitter account, the National Hurricane Center's Storm Surge Unit said to "Forget the tide" as surge flooding of 10 to 15 feet is now expected along Florida's southwestern coast and the Keys regardless of tide conditions.

Florida emergency management officials have asked another 700,000 to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma. That brings the total number asked to evacuate multiple states to nearly 7 million.

Florida's Division of Emergency Management said Saturday that officials have issued a mix of mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders to 6.3 million residents. The number rose overnight as the predicted path of Hurricane Irma has shifted west. It's likely to come ashore Sunday.

The size and trajectory of the storm has prompted officials to order evacuations along both coasts of Florida, including some of the state's population centers. Florida is the nation's third largest state with nearly 21 million residents.

Another 540,000 have been asked to evacuate in the eastern part of Georgia.In South Carolina, a mandatory evacuation order was issued for eight barrier islands. That includes Hilton Head Island, the most populous of the islands with about 40,000 residents.

11 a.m. Irma down to Category 3 for now

Irma's maximum sustained winds are at 125 mph as it continues to batter Cuba, making it a Category 3 storm, but it is expected to restrengthen as it turns to South Florida, according to the NHC's 11 a.m. update.

Hurricane and storm surge warnings and watches have been extended (see the above list).

The NHC is also warning that tropical storm-force winds will be felt well before the arrival of the storm. The Keys should expect them by 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

NOAA

9:45 a.m. 'You will not survive this storm surge,' governor warns

In a morning briefing, Florida Gov. Rick Scott gave matter-of-fact and grim warning to those straggling to evacuate or those staying in place.

"You will not survive all this storm surge," he said of the inundations that could rise to 12 feet and "cover your house."

Scott urged anyone in an evacuation zone to leave by noon, but Irma's life-threatening effects are "going to go faster than you are."

As winds and storm surge began to lash the southern part of the state, Scott said areas are already seeing power outages and nurses are needed in evacuation shelters, where there were 50,000 people as of Saturday morning with room to spare.

"The storm is here," he said. "This is a deadly storm, and our state has never seen anything like it."

9:35 a.m. Tampa Bay region likely to see center of Irma

The National Hurricane Center says it’s looking more likely that the eye of powerful Hurricane Irma will strike the Keys, southwestern Florida and Tampa Bay region. While the core of the massive storm is expected to miss the populated Florida southeast coast, forecasters say the Miami region will still experience life-threatening hurricane conditions.

Its winds weakened to 130 mph when it hit Cuba, but Irma is forecast to regain strength over the ultra-warm Florida Straits and hit western Florida as a strong Category 4 storm. The storm is likely to come ashore Sunday.

Hurricane center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said a direct hit into the Tampa region, which hasn’t felt a major hurricane since 1921, has long been a concern. He said storm surge there will likely be a major problem.

9:30 a.m. Tornado warning

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for Miami-Dade County until 10:15 a.m. Tornadoes are not uncommon with hurricanes.

8:30 a.m. 'I don't have the luxury of leaving'

Even as 5.6 million people in South Florida have been ordered to evacuate, some are staying put -- whether it's out of pride or necessity.

Peggy Monahan, who lives in Fort Piece, is among the latter group. She told CNN her farm needs her attention, but she's also nervous as Irma bears down on her farm.

"We need everybody's prayers -- this storm seems very bad," she told CNN's Zain Asher. "We are close to harvesting our crops, and we need to be here to stick the trees back on the ground if they are blown up."

"I don't have the luxury of leaving. ... I'm prepared for the worst but hoping for the best. I hope my house will hold up."

Florida Gov. Rick Scott had a dire warning Friday night for those still in their homes: "If you have been ordered to evacuate, leave now. Not tonight, not in an hour, now."

7:50 a.m. 'Restrengthening' expected after Cuba weakens storm

AP Photo/Desmond Boylan

The NHC's newest update says Irma's maximum sustained winds are down to 130 mph as it skirted Cuba, but a "restrengthening" is expected as it makes its way to Florida's Keys and southwestern coast. Even with the weaker winds, the storm remains at Category 4.

Meteorologists say damaging winds are blowing into South Florida as Hurricane Irma approaches. The National Weather Service said the winds were moving into areas including Key Biscayne, Coral Gables and South Miami. Gusts of up to 56 mph (90 kph) were reported on Virginia Key off Miami as the storm’s outer bands arrived.

The center of the storm is about 225 miles south of Miami and is moving west-northwest at 12 mph. Winds and storm surge are already beginning to impact the region.

Later Saturday, watches and warnings may be enacted for parts of the Georgia and South Carolina coast, as well as portions of Florida's Gulf Coast.

The hurricane warning for the Central Bahamas and Ragged Island has been discontinued.

7 a.m. Cuba battered by Irma

A string of small islands to the east have been left reeling in the wake of the massive hurricane, which strengthened to a Category 5 storm as it made landfall in Cuba overnight, before being slightly downgraded to a Category 4 storm early Saturday.

5 a.m. Irma downgraded back to Category 4

The National Hurricane Center has downgraded Irma to a Category 4 storm with 155 mph winds as it works its way over Cuba early Saturday. Irma is still considered 'extremely dangerous.'

The storm is continuing to pummel Cuba with hurricane force winds before it makes its turn toward Florida.

2 a.m. Eye of Irma passes over Cuba's Camaguey Archipelago

Irma continues along the coast of Cuba as a powerful Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 160 mph. The eye is moving over Cuba's Camaguey Archipelago in a westerly direction at 12 mph.

12:00 a.m. Florida gov. issues new statement on Irma

Floridians who have not evacuated are being told to locate to the closest available shelter within their county by noon on Saturday, Gov. Rick Scott said. Scott reiterated his warning to those living in the Florida Keys to 'get out now,' adding that first responders will be unable to rescue those in need of assistance until the storm dies down.

11:10 p.m. (Friday) Irma strengthens backs to Category 5 storm

The National Hurricane Center says Irma has strengthened back into a Category 5 storm. Forecasters also extended hurricane and storm surge warnings and watches farther north in Florida.

The center says Irma made landfall on the Camaguey Archipelago of Cuba late Friday and has maximum sustained winds of 160 mph.

The hurricane is about 300 miles from Miami and moving about 13 mph toward the west.

10:40 p.m. Florida Keys official warns people who stay are putting their lives at risk

A county commissioner in the Florida Keys says the storm will change the geography of the area and anyone who doesn't leave "is a fool."

"This storm is going to kill people if you’re still here," George Neugent, a Monroe County commissioner, said Friday.

Neugent says if people don’t leave by Saturday morning, they’re putting their lives at risk.

The last scheduled American Airlines and Delta Air Lines flights left Miami International Airport Friday evening as major airlines ceased operations in South Florida before Hurricane Irma slams the region.

United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and other carriers are closing up shop at Florida airports after flying as many passengers as possible out of the path of the storm and giving their staff time to prepare.

By late Saturday, Miami, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale — home to the 12th, 13th, 21st largest airports in the U.S., respectively — will be largely dormant as the extreme weather rolls in.

Meteorologists at Delta expect Irma to make landfall just west of Miami International Airport overnight Saturday, bringing wind gusts of up to 127 miles per hour.

American will wind down operations in Orlando, which is a three and a half hour drive north from Miami, by 2 p.m. on Saturday. It is also shutting operations in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers and West Palm Beach.

Miami hasn't announced if it will cease commercial flying during the storm, but once sustained winds hit 55 miles per hour, aircraft cannot take off or land. The last commercial flight leaves Miami around 9:30 p.m. Friday, an Air Europa flight to Madrid.

8:30 p.m.

Hurricane Irma's fierce winds ripped into the northern coast of Cuba Friday night as massive storm edged closer to landfall as a Category 5 storm in the Florida Keys.

Irma, which has sustained winds of 155 mph, has left a trail of devastation and death in much of the Caribbean as it advanced toward South Florida.

Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center say the storm's wind speeds will increase after Irma passes Cuba then slips into the extremely warm waters near the Keys.

Irma could have sustained winds of 160 mph and once again be a Category 5 hurricane by the time it makes US landfall on Sunday.

"Nowhere in the Florida Keys will be safe," the National Weather Service tweeted.

There were worries the storm's most powerful winds, on the northeastern side of the core, could pummel Miami, but it appears the city will avoid a direct hit, while still getting pounded by strong winds, storm surge and heavy rains.

8 p.m.

Effects of storm could begin late Saturday in Florida

The National Hurricane Center says there is the danger of life-threatening storm surge inundation in southern Florida and the Florida Keys during the next 36 hours, where a storm surge warning is in effect. Along the southwest coast, there's a threat of significant storm surge flooding, and 8 to 12 feet of inundation above ground level is possible there.

A few tornadoes will be possible beginning Saturday morning across south Florida, according to the hurricane center. But the center's deputy director, Ed Rappaport, said winds of these types of hurricanes are already particularly stronger than tornadoes that form in these kinds of conditions.

South Carolina governor orders evacuations for parts of coast

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster ordered mandatory evacuations for Barrier Islands in Colleton, Beaufort and Jasper counties, set to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday.

With about 40,000 residents, Hilton Head Island is by far the largest island evacuated. It also has a number of resorts, golf courses and hotels.

South Carolina Adjutant General Robert Livingston estimates 20,000 people have already left Hilton Head Island.

Edisto Beach is also being evacuated, along with Harbor, Hunting, Fripp, Daufuskie, Tullifini and Knowles islands.

Alabama, Georgia governors broaden emergency declarations

Governors in Alabama and Georgia each put broad state of emergency declarations into effect on Friday.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday issued a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Irma. That expands from an earlier emergency declaration.

“We continue to closely monitor the path of Hurricane Irma. Although at this point is does not appear that Alabama will face the brunt of the storm, we will certainly be affected and we must be ready to respond, no matter what comes our way,” Ivey said in a statement.

The declaration is to ensure resources and workers are in place to respond in Alabama or elsewhere, the governor said.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal expanded the state of emergency earlier Friday to include 94 of the state's 159 counties. The affected counties represent the lower portion of the state.

"I want to caution all Georgians: Just because the weather now may appear calm, do not take it for granted," Deal said.